1. Technical Field
This invention relates to providing bundles of fibers and particularly to a method for producing bundles of fibers which are to be used in evaluating the physical properties of the fibers after various chemical treatments. The fibers may be of various composition and include keratin fibers, i.e., human hair.
2. Background Information
The use of fiber products dates back to the earliest times of recorded history. Generally speaking, different fibers have been determined to be useful in a wide range of differing particular applications, the choice of which is dependent upon the physical requirements in each case. Fibrous materials include those of: cotton, hemp, cellulose esters, poly-esters, hairs of various mammals including wool and human hair, synthetic fibers including kevlar, nylon, nomex, polyamides, poly acrylates, etc. Examples in which fibers are useful are for clothing, rugs, insulation, composite materials, printed circuitboard prepregs, wigs, etc.
Heretofore, in order to characterize, classify, determine the suitability of various fibrous materials, or test various chemical treatments for their suitability and usefulness thereon a wide range of test methods have been developed. Generally, properties upon which evaluation of fibers are based include intrinsic elongation, damage index, tensile strength, wear characteristics, reactivity or inertness to particular chemical/physical conditions, color change resistance under particular conditions, ease of cleansing, reaction to heat stress, tendency to tangle, and the degree of deviation of these properties exhibited by a treated fiber with respect to virgin fibers under ideal or other laboratory or field test conditions.
Commensurate with the increase in the chemical complexity of treatments applied to various fibrous materials has been witnessed a general need for a more rigidly controlled set of experimental parameters useful for evaluating the usefulness of the various treatments. Part of this need includes providing the fibers to be tested in a fixed form, since free-standing fibers are undesirable in most cases due to the fact that they tend to move about uncontrollably in a random fashion as a result of the various physical manipulations to which they are subjected throughout the various testing procedures.
Accordingly, it has been found desirable to provide a pre-fabricated swatch of fibers useful to those engaged in the evaluation of said fibers in order to increase reliability of test results, save time, and reduce costs associated with evaluating new products for the various markets. It is also desirable to provide fiber swatches which are compatible with robotics commonly employed in evaluation of fibers following various chemical treatments, e.g., shampoos, dyes, etc.
Hair swatches and bundles of fibers heretofore employed included several strands fixed at their ends, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,061,022; 4,224,475; 4,392,384; 4,474,193; and 4,583,562, wrapped around a rod as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,951, and as set forth in the prior art patents and literature cited therein.
Thus, a large number of different means for bundling strands of fibers together for a specific application have been seen to develop, and the manner in which the bundles are held together having been specific to their intended application. This meant that generally there was no fixed standard in the industry against which all could be compared to as a reference, i.e., each testing lab or facility has had its own "in-house" method of providing a form of the fibers to be tested.
The instant invention provides a set of standard fiber bundle which may be evaluated for a more meaningful comparison of data generated in a particular given test, as well as a more convenient, easy to use, and cost-effective means of carrying out physical testing of fibrous materials.